


They look like good, strong hands

by Enide_Dear



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: And Friendship, M/M, No Smut, Panic Attacks, Survivors Guilt, just sorrow, no humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 13:09:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10022036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enide_Dear/pseuds/Enide_Dear
Summary: In the aftermath of Ignis blindness, Noctis sacrifice and the death of Prompto, Gladio starts to question why he, the Shield, is the one to have suffered the least.





	

He stared down at his hands. They looked like good, strong, capable hands. In the hot unrelenting and utterly blissful sun pouring over Lestallum once more, Gladio stared down at his hands with an intent that made normal people turn away, making them take detours around the large man who was shaking in the heat.   
   
Gladio didnt notice them any more than the glaring sun, his eyes fixed on the hands in his knees. A few scars, a lot of calluses; the hands of someone trained from childhood to protect others. He clenched his hands into fists, then opened them slowly. No, there were no signs of old age or any kind of wasting sickness. He was in his prime; strong, trained, even talented, or so all his weapon instructors had told him.   
   
No excuses to fall back on, then.   
   
The failure was all his.   
   
The duty of the Shield was to protect the King, at all costs. To break before letting anything touch the prince. To be the last line of defense. To die before his friend.   
   
His shaky breath burned like fire in his throat. He felt his shoulders shake uncontrollably.   
   
Possibly nothing could have saved Noct in the end; ghost kings and queens, demons and magic and his own sacrifice had claimed Noctis life in the end. It was all a bit too much even for a Kings Shield. Maybe, just maybe he could have forgiven himself for that.   
   
But it hadnt ended there, had it? And worse, it hadnt even started there.   
   
He had failed in Altissa to. True, he had no duty to save Ignis but there were bonds that went deeper than oaths. Friendship and love, and his own sense of self worth that came from that one conviction; that he could protect his friends. That his body would be their shield when they needed it. And instead he wasnt there when Ignis needed him and now the man was blind. His best friend, his oldest friend, for whom control was oh so important was rendered helpless and all because Gladio hadn't been there to protect him.   
   
   
But the worse part was still Prompto. Poor kid, too much MT in him and then Gods knew what that fucker Ardyn had done to him. It was proof of the strength of his heart that hed held together for all these years, especially once the darkness engulfed the world. Hed stayed human  more human than anyone Gladio knew  but somehow that hadnt been enough. When Noct died and the sun came back the deamons were purged from the lands, no exceptions. Not even for one who had fought so hard to stay human. The empty husk that was all that remained of Prompto once the screaming stopped had fallen to dust when Gladio tried to lift it and that just wasnt fair.   
   
In the end hed failed them all. From the fires of Hell, only the Shield had walked unscratched and the burden of that was unbearable. What use even was he, now or then? He'd failed at every turn.   
   
He stared down at his hands. They looked like good, strong, competent hands. A few scars, a lot of calluses  
   
"You are doing it again." The voice next to him was as familiar as his own, but he hadnt noticed when Ignis walked up to him and sat down next to him on the bench, his back as ram-rod straight as ever even though his hands lay neatly folded on a cane instead of a lance.   
   
"How the Hell do you know what Im doing? You are blind!" Anger and self loathing made him lash out.  
   
"I know what you are doing because I know you." Ignis didnt react to the angry words. Instead he freed a hand and fumbled around until it found Gladios, clutching it. Strong, competent hands, both of them. Good hands. Yet one had failed and the other not. "And because I feel the same way you do. I miss them to. Every day. Every second of every hour."  
   
"It is more than that." Gladio tried to get his hand back, but Ignis held on. "You never failed anyone."  
   
"Oh? So my prince is now King, married to his love and ruling over a sound kingdom with his best friend taking wedding day photos of them? My, I must have missed a lot, being blind and all."  
   
"You never failed me." Gladio muttered.   
   
"And I dont intend to. So I ask the same of you." Before Gladio could retort that it was too late for that, too late for him not to fail Ignis, the former advisor let go of his hand and leaned the cane on the bench. Ignis gently cupped his face, turning it towards his own ruined one and his voice sank to something close to a hoarse whisper. "Please. Dont leave me. Dont leave me here..alone in the dark."  
   
There was a gentle kiss, less of want and more of assurance. That he was still needed. It was not enough to wipe away the guilt but maybe it was enough to keep holding on for. Maybe.  
   
Ignis hooked his arms around his and made them both stand.   
   
"Come now. I need to find a salesman with some decent produce around here. I am making some Memory Cakes tonight."  
   
*I wonder who is guiding who.* Gladio held his arm firmly but gently, leading them up the stairs towards the city proper, the taptaptap of Ignis cane going ahead of them.   
   
"That was Nocts favorite." He muttered and Ignis nodded, none of them saying anything more in the comfortable silence.   
   
Gladio looked down on his hand, fingers still entwined in Ignis'.   
   
Good, strong, competent hands.

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone, ANYONE, out there recognizes what movie They look like good, strong hands comes from, I will write you a fic of choice (in a fandom I am familiar with)


End file.
